Phuket baby saved from trash pile

PHUKET: A Phuket baby boy, thought to be just hours old and with the umbilical cord still attached, has been found abandoned near a dump site in Kathu.

Phongthep Joyjard, a respected elder who lives in the area, discovered the newborn while he was out exercising on Soi Saithong near the dump site on Tuesday evening.

He heard the baby crying and followed the sound to find him wrapped in a towel inside a fertilizer sack, police said.

The unnamed infant, who had suffered no injuries other than some insect bites on his face, was taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital by officers of the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation section of Kathu Municipality.

Police are now trying to track down the child’s parents.

The newborn weighs just over six pounds (2.72kg) and initial tests show he is in good health, hospital staff said.

Mr Phongthep initially heard the baby’s cries at about 3pm, but it wasn’t until he was returning from his walk at about 4:30pm that he again heard the cries and raised the alarm.

A group of neighbors went to investigate and the baby was found at about 5pm.

They immediately reported the find to the police and soon after Kathu rescue officers rushed the baby to hospital.

From subsequent questioning of local residents, police say a teenage couple drove a motorcycle into Soi Saithong at about 2pm before departing 10 minutes later.

However, no witnesses have been able to confirm the couple’s appearance or provide a definitive description of the motorbike.

The baby is now under the responsibility of the Phuket Provincial Social Development and Human Security Office.

Phannee Sittikan, chief of the Human Security office in Phuket, told the Phuket Gazette, “The baby will be sent to the Baan Songkhla Shelter for Children as soon as his health allows. The baby will be of Thai nationality, in case we cannot find the parents.”

Two charged with attacking an ambulance and driver in Phuket

Two men were have been charged with attacking a moving ambulance and the volunteer ambulance driver along the ByPass Road in Phuket earlier this week.

The two assailants were easily identified as 22 year old Sagib Yomyai and 29 year old Sutthi Sripoon, both from Trang province, were arrested at a rented house in Tambon Wichit, Muang district, with an array of incriminating evidence that included a pistol, two bullets, a knife and an axe.

The pair were then taken for questioning in front of Phuket police chief Pol Maj General Wisan Panmanee.

The men were charged by police with damaging, or rendering useless, property belonged to another person, threatening another person and illegal possession of a gun.

The charges follow an attack on the ambulance with a knife and an axe as it was driving on Chalerm Phrakiat King Rama 9 road (ByPass Road) in Muang district on May 20.

The ambulance driver, 41 year old Detnarong Songsang, a lawyer by profession, told Wichit Police that the two men were on a Honda Wave motorcycle that chased after him after he beeped his horn at them for dangerously changing lanes near Siriroj Hospital at around 5pm on Monday.

One of the men threw an object at the back of the ambulance and then tried several times to use a knife to pierce the ambulance’s hood cover. They kept up the chase and then attacked the rear again, this time with an axe.

Detnarong accelerated to escape and luckily for him, the men spotted police on the road ahead, so they gave up the pursuit. He went straight to the police station to report the incident.

Damage estimated at 50,000 baht was caused to the back windshield of the ambulance, its two side windows and the hood cover. As police were still hunting the suspects, Detnarong posted a four-minute video clip and photo on to his Facebook account to help spread the news.

One reporter asked the driver why he didn’t just drive them off the road, Detnarong said he was trained to save people and it was inappropriate to use an ambulance to cause harm.

No injury as trailer truck loses control in Phuket Darasamut Underpass – VIDEO

A trailer has skidded and lost control, and then collided with concrete barriers at the southern entrance to the Darasamut Underpass this morning. No injuries were reported as a result of the incident.

Wichit Police were notified of the incident at 10am. Police and emergency responders arrived at the scene to find the damaged trailer truck and smashed barriers. Both lanes inside the underpass were blocked until the truck and debris could be removed.

Police checked CCTV footage showing that the truck was heading down into the underpass. The truck lost control after starting to skid sideways and smashed through the median barriers.

What to do in Phuket – A Unique Guide

A modern Holiday Membership Club with its flagship office at the luxurious Patong Bay Hill Resort on Hasibpee Hill, Club Unique offers members an endless choice of possibilities as well as an almost limitless array of luxuries across a global platform. While a stay with Club Unique is exceptional in itself, the staff are eager to offer members & guests insight into local experiences in order to take full advantage of all that Phuket truly offers.

Here, we offer up a Unique Guide on What To Do in Phuket. Whether it be a local temple or a famous landmark, we urge you to get out and explore some of our favorite spots when staying with us at Club Unique in Phuket.

A Visit to Phuket Old Town

Phuket Old Town is an interesting journey back in time to Phuket’s heritage of tin mining, away from the fast-paced lifestyles of today. It is worth taking a wander around the Old Town to admire the stunning Sino-Portuguese shophouses and architecture. Don’t forget to bring your camera!

Phuket Thai Hua Museum

Originally the first Chinese language school on the island, Phuket Thai Hua Museum is located on Krabi Road. It is one of the most-preserved of all of the original colonial-style buildings in all of Phuket Old Town. The museum consists of 13 rooms that feature exhibitions in both English and Thai languages. All of the displays are a walk through history and connect the dots between the Phuket and China relationship that started in the tin mining days.

Big Buddha

Without a doubt Phuket’s shining star, the Big Buddha is Phuket’s ongoing man-made attraction. Also known as Ming Mongkol Buddha, the statue is perched atop a 380 metre hilltop in the Nakkerd Hills between the Chalong and Kata neighborhoods.

This structure was dedicated to the late HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej in honor of his 80th birthday. There is also a smaller Brass Buddha that is 12 metres high and constructed of 22 tonnes of brass, which is dedicated to HM Queen Sirikit.

Big Buddha offers stunning 360 views over Phuket and is a must-see while visiting the island.

Karon Viewpoint

The winding coast road between Kata and Nai Harn has some lovely scenery. Just two kilometers along it from Kata is Karon Viewpoint. There is a small car park, a couple of shops and a pavilion from which to enjoy the view.

If you climb the steps to the top of the pavilion, you have a wonderful view north across three of Phuket’s best beaches.

The nearest beach you can see is Kata Noi,in the next bay is the sweeping Kata Beach. In the distance, you see the long stretch of Karon Beach, if you keep driving south on this road, you will pass Nai Harn Beach and then reach Promthep Cape.

Wat Chalong

Built at the beginning of the nineteenth century during the reign of King Rama II, Wat Chalong is the most important of the 29 Buddhist temples in Phuket. The temple contains several structures and halls. One of the halls features a gilt-covered statue of the famous and revered Luang Poh Cham statues of Luang Poh Chuang and Luang Poh Gleum, all ex-abbots of the temple. The Grand Pagoda is decorated with wall paintings depicting the Buddha’s life story and features various Buddha images.

Phuket Elephant Sanctuary is the first elephant sanctuary on the island pioneering ethical elephant tourism. The sanctuary rescues sick, injured and old elephants who have spent their entire lives working long, exhausting hours in the logging or tourism industries. A visit offers a unique experience observing retired working elephants rehabilitate into forest life. To be in the presence of an elephant is simply breathtaking and a day at Phuket Elephant Sanctuary will leave you captivated by how incredible the largest land mammal on earth truly is.

To learn more about unique things to do while holidaying in Phuket, visit Club Unique at our flagship office in Hasipbee Hill in Patong, just minutes away from fantastic Patong Beach.

The Thaiger is a deep resource for people looking for news, information, properties, lifestyle and travel articles about Thailand and our nearby region. Daily news is short, to the point, sourced originally and easy to find and read. The Thaiger also has a radio station in Phuket on 102.75 FM and Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter channels. The Thaiger Co. Ltd is a company registered in Phuket, Thailand.